10 Obscure Comics Secrets That Took Years To Discover
5. The Ultimate Fate Of Jason Todd
Time To Discover: Jan '89 - May '05
One of the best-kept secrets in the DC Universe took a lot of fans by surprise, and it had to do with a character who had been dead for many years. Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, was brutally killed by the Joker (and the fans, if you want to get technical about it) at the end of the "Death in the Family" storyline in Batman #429.
The death was one of the most impactful events in Bruce Wayne's life and fell just under the death of his parents, which put him on his journey to become Batman in the first place. Todd's death affected Bruce for decades, and he never truly got over it.
In 2005, Judd Winick began writing the "Under the Hood" storyline, which revolved around the true identity of the second Red Hood (The first was the Joker back in the '50s.). He was a brutal enforcer, and he had it out for Batman in a big way.
By the end of "Under the Red Hood," the fans finally learned the true identity of the masked villain, as well as the real fate of Jason Todd because Robin didn't die. He grew up to become a brutal vengeance-seeking badass. It wasn't pleasant for a while, but eventually, Bruce and Jason reconciled, calling a truce, but it wouldn't come until 2013.